Why I Oughta...

Analysis causes paralysis is a trope that people say in business and life.  But, I'm NOW feeling that very thing HARD in regards to our backyard pizza oven planning.  It was just a week ago that I VERY CONFIDENTLY posted about how I was down to just two finalist locations for our oven .  But, today?  I'm not so sure any longer.  What about a 3rd location, on the south side of the yard, about the same distance from the house.  But, tucked into a current bed where the Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas are planted?  See below for this 3rd location at the bottom of the drawing: This 3rd location re-introduces one of the ORIGINAL sites that I contemplated as far back as 2017 .    What does this new site get us?  It certainly doesn't take advantage of the grade change, so that means that the full height and mass of the oven will be in-view.  That provides for a bit of screening.  But, it also means that the oven becomes a garden focal-point.  If site'd here, it would be the biggest dr

The pair of Spring Grove Ginkgo trees (dwarf Ginkgos) that I planted this past growing season on either side of our rear stoop are worth documenting in the garden diary.  Being winter, they're clearly dormant, but they're doing some interesting things:  They're clearly exhibiting some foliar marcescence with many of their leaves clinging to the limbs.   And, they're covered with buds.  That are stud'd everywhere.  On the limbs.  On the trunk.  At the tips of branches.  And all along them.  They're quite different and really nice to look at when contrasted with he white snow.  Here's a pair of photos showing the same one: the north-side Spring Grove Ginkgo .  The second one is planted by the Grill on the southside of the stoop, but I am not including photos here. The snow cover on the ground is a few inches thick and I'm hoping that it is providing a nice blanket of insulation on this young, one-year-in-the-ground dwarf ginkgo.  

I've been busy getting to know Sketchup - in an attempt to create a true, accurate model of my (hopefully to-be-built-in-2024) backyard wood-fired pizza oven .  But, I also figured out a different, three-dimensional approach that will work (at least for me).  The stand of the oven is built from typical cinder blocks:  16x8x8 (16" long, 8" tall, 8" deep) and half-blocks of 8x8x8 (8" long, 8" tall, 8" deep) that are commonly available from any big-box hardware store.   I was playing around with sketchup one afternoon when I realized that I could build out a model using some common bricks.   I wanted to get a sense for how the stand would come together and also begin to build out a parts-list for the blocks.   I went up to the kids lego bins and quickly figured out how to build this: Part 3001 (2x4 brick)  has 8 studs on top and is the typical rectangle brick that you think of when you think of LEGO bricks.   Using a one-stud for 4" each direction, t

One evening, I peeked out at the backyard and noticed this combo view (part ours, part borrowed) of two different Linden trees.  Ours is a Greenspire Linden that is trained into a horizontal cordon espalier; backed by our cedar fence.  And just behind and lit-from-below is our neighbors (unknown variety) of a Linden Tree that is covered in the day's snow.  Quite a look isn't it?  I posted about "Winter Interest" just a few days ago and mentioned that perhaps as a result of lacking conifers, the majority of the "winter interest" in our garden is from snow + structure.  Here...just add "light".  And you have a little bit of winter garden magic.

A few days ago, I posted a look at a couple of locations for my (hopefully) wood-fired oven to be placed in our backyard.  In that post, I mentioned that I was going after a brick facade and gable roof structure.  But, besides the notion of brick, I haven't - until just now - given much thought into the type of brick and the pattern of brick.  Why am I thinking about that now?  Well... Recently, I saw this TikTok  from Hans Lorei Design ( here's the Hans Lorei Design Instagram Handle  where he posted the same video) about brickwork *used to be so much better* and with the modern way we are building things, the real *art* has been lost and replaced with brick faces on buildings being laid in a field pattern.   It is embedded below.  Click play, and turn on the volume.   @hansloreidesign Our brick work & buildings could be so much better if we embraced more patterns & detail #homedesign #architecture #architecturaldesign #interiordesign #oldbuilding ♬ original sound

The notion of building a wood-burning oven in our backyard is one that I've mused about for years.  Dating back to our first house in Elmhurst, I dreamed up how I could build one and where it would go in the landscape.  I've posted about it a few times since we moved to Downers - including here in 2017 and again in 2020 and then one month later (also) in 2020 .  The first post in 2020, I talked about planning for a pond and oven .   That last post in September of 2020 , I mentioned building it on *top* of our large drywell.   When I go back and read those posts, I can see the evolution in thinking - from close to the patio to utilizing the lower elevation on the northside to placing it on the drywell to deal with any potential heaving.  They all make sense.  And, that's what I've been thinking the past few weeks as I've moved into real planning mode. I'd like to call 2024 the year of the pizza oven.  Or, at least...the pizza oven foundation and stand.  Let'

Most everything perennial in our backyard garden has gone to sleep for the season.  But there's some new(er) things that are seeing their first Winter season in our yard that are showing a little bit of contrast.  Below is a photo that shows an inter-planted set of Twinkle Toes Pulmonaria and Blue Champion Primrose.  The Primrose went in the beds in VERY EARLY Spring 2023 and this is the first Winter:  The foliage difference is pretty striking;  the Pulmonaria is mostly brown, wilting and dead.  The Primrose?  Green and seemingly evergreen.   A new (to me) nice little study in winter foliage. Here's a post from a little bit over a year ago showing these same Pulmonaria without the Blue Champion Primrose .   Also... note the leaf litter.  Those Northern Red Oak leaves sure don't break down easily.  

Yesterday, I posted a look at my first ever (small) Wattle Fence that I put up in my new (as of this Fall) stumpery garden in the back .  In that post, I talked about the idea of "Garden Vignettes" and how they draw the visitor in towards certain spots in the garden and allow the gardener to show a bit of their personality.    The stumpery allows for a little personality.  The Wattle Fence, too.   So do berms and boulders.   In this recent post about using boulders in the garden , I said this: "One of the things that I'm putting on my 2024 to-do list is to add a little 'personality' to my garden with objects. Boulders fit that category, so I'm getting a little bit of a headstart this Fall/Winter." What other ways can you see a little personality in the garden?  With signs.  Earlier this Fall, I saw this  post on Insta from Erin the Impatient Garder that shows a few Garden Vignettes from Northview Garden .  This is a screenshot of the post below - b

Last month (November 2023), I discovered and then started (my own) stumpery in our backyard using a couple of various stumps and logs that I've collected over the years .  They included a few Norway Maple crotches/stumps and (I think) some hollowed-out Buckthorn limbs that have little areas that I can plant ferns and what-not.  The Stumpery is (currently) unplanted and will continue to evolve over time (hopefully), but it is the first real attempt at adding just a little bit of personality via what they call a " Garden Vignette ".     I was out there and decided to try to make a little (short) wattle fence around the front of the Stumpery using some of the limbs that fell off this season.  Below is a photo showing the small section of wattle that I quickly put together - it is about 3-feet-long and less than six-inches-tall: I've long thought about wattle fences - using whips of willow trees - but haven't pulled one off.  Each season, I prune up my espaliers and h

 Sandhill Cranes were migrating south above our house on Thanksgiving Day 2023.  I covered these large birds migrating NORTH earlier this year - March 2023 .  Below is a video showing the birds flying in a circle above Downers Grove late last month: This is the full list of posts about these fascinating birds .   I first posted about them in Fall 2020 . Spring northern migration 2021 . Spring northern migration 2022 . Spring northern migration 2023 . Fall southern migration 2023 .

My compost bins grew this Fall - from two bins and a tumbler to three bins and a tumbler.  I've long wanted to add that third bin, but it took this Fall's leaves to compel me to act.  Below, you can see the new third bin - on the left - and this photo serves as an 'early winter' snapshot of our three bins (in terms of how full they are) as the composting process slows down with the temperature drops: The new bin (on the left) is almost exclusively leaves.  The pumpkins that you see in the middle bin are there (for now) as I break them down into chunks and layer them in every time I add more leaves to the new 3rd bin.  I put in a bunch of leaves on top --> chop up chunks of pumpkins --> layer them on top of the leaves in the 3rd bin.  I've done that for the top 12-inches-or-so and as that bin continues to compress I'll keep adding leaves.   One other thing to note:  on the bottom right, there are two white plastic garbage bags that are laying around.  Those

Our neighbors to the West were having a Walnut tree limb taken down recently and the tree guy who was doing the work was the same one that gave me a bunch of Ash firewood almost three years ago to the day.  At that time - and in this post - I called it all Ash.  But, now that I look back, it is clear that they included some Walnut in the mix, too.   They tossed (just like last time) a number of rounds of wood over the fence and I stacked them up in a spot to figure out what to do with them.  You can see that pile above - and you can also see that some of the pieces required a little bit more cutting with my chainsaw.   Now...knowing that this is Walnut gave me pause.  Sure...I could store it, process it, split it and burn it.  But, it also has woodworking value as Walnut.  So, I decided to select a few pieces to pull out and store separately.  I texted with my brother-in-law (a woodworker and carver) about if he'd want some of the Walnut and he said he would.  I grabbed about a d

These #FallPlanting posts are getting further-and-further out from reality.  The photos below show lush, green garden.  I'm posting this at the end of November.  This was from way back in early October.  I had a Cat's Pajamas Nepeta planted in the backyard in pretty deep shade.  It wasn't doing well.  So, I dug it out and brought it over to the curved border outside the kitchen window.   The first photo below is the Nepeta peeking out from under a Guacamole Hosta leaf.  The second is the new home by the peonies and Lucky Charm Anemones: This doesn't count in my new/divided plants, right?  It is just a transplant.   I'm posting this in November 2023, but I did this transplanting in mid-October 2023.

I'm on a roll with dividing - ferns, seslaria, Astilbes.  Today, spotted Lungwort. Last Fall, I transplanted my three Twinkle Toes Lungwort from the back of a bed, closer to the front .  Those three have thrived in their new spot.  But, they also left behind a few little surprises.   In the spot where the three transplants were living previously sprouted up three whole Twinkle Toes Lungwort plants.   I, of course hedged.  I dug up two of them and left one in place.  The two that I dug up, I divided.  Creating four new Twinkle Toes Lungworts.  I put two on the front of the border next to the newly transplanted Fanal Astilbes on the north side.   I tucked one in next to the Ghost Fern on the Boardwalk: And the fourth went in at the stoop on the side gravel walkway: Below is an 'after' photo that shows the three big clumps in front and the one volunteer that I left in place.  Next year, I'll lift it out and divide again.  I'd also like to find another variety to add as

Astilbes.  They're awesome.  Hard to keep and grow - normally.  But, I've had some luck with Fanal Astilbes in my shade garden. They were the VERY FIRST plant I put in - according to plan.   I've moved them a few times, but for the most part....just left them alone.   With four growing seasons under their belt ( planted in 2020 , so 2020, '21, '22 and now '23), I thought I could take a shot at Fall Dividing some of them. I decided to pick the largest four Fanal Astilbes to dig up and divide.  Two on one end, two on the other.  Below are a few 'before' photos: I made room for the four new Astilbes on the other side of the yard - and removed some hostas.  Each of the four plants was dug up, split in two.  Half went to the new spot.   The other half went back in the original hole.  Below are a few 'after' photos showing the ones that have been cut-down in size: I ended up with four new Fanal Astilbes on the north border: Like I've done in the pa

Fall is the right time to divide Seslaria.  And, I'm going to attempt to divide and transplant first-year Seslaria Autumnalis.  Why?  Because I've been so happy with them up front this year.  I identified the three largest plants in front - like the one below - and dug up and split it in two. I wanted to improve the ring around the tree-swing tree with something more interesting - so I moved the new divisions to sit in between the Christmas Tree hostas that I moved here last year.  These are behind the Summer Beauty Allium divisions from last year, too.   Below is a look at some of the divisions and where they went in the backyard. I tucked the original plants back in, too.  Now they were just half-the-size. There's a photo above of a TINY division.  I'm not counting that, so, we're calling this a +3 free plants for Fall Dividing. I'm posting this in November 2023, but I did this dividing and transplanting in mid-October 2023.